


Teddy Bears and Teary Eyes

by aseaofwords



Series: The Kazer Collections [2]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Chicago Blackhawks, John Hayden's a teddy bear, Jonathan really loves his Sidney, Kaner's obsessed with Jonny, Kid Fic, M/M, Sharpy's a godsend, Sidgeno if you squint, Soft!Kazer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 09:33:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12814683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aseaofwords/pseuds/aseaofwords
Summary: The fic where Jonny turns into a toddler and Kaner takes care of him. Except, there's crying, and Sidney Crosby, and for the love of God, don't forget the applesauce.





	Teddy Bears and Teary Eyes

Walking into the United Center that morning, Patrick recalled a thought as he laid in bed, mumbling curses at his alarm clock, to just stay in bed. When Patrick walked into the locker room, he suddenly regretted his decision.

The locker room for morning skate that was usually loud and hectic, was quiet, only murmurs drifting around the room.

Well, no, now that Patrick listened, he could hear someone crying.

Patrick’s feet came to an abrupt halt, and half the team turned to him, the other half still crowded around…something. “Kane, hello.” Q acknowledged him awkwardly.

Patrick looked at him quizzically. “Uh, hey,” he quirked an eyebrow, “What's going on?” He walked over to the group, the crying growing louder. “Did someone bring their kid?” He asked, but for some reason, he didn't believe his accusation. No one spoke, Saader shuffling on feet. “N-No?” Patrick was suddenly aware of the missing face in the locker room.

“Shit, where’s Tazer?”

Simultaneously, the team moved out of the way, and Patrick was faced with a little brunet boy, red faced and crying his eyes out. Patrick felt the breath get knocked out of his chest.

“Jonny?”

The boy paused, sniffling and hiccuping, staring up at Kaner. Then, he lunged forward and latched onto the hockey player. Patrick stumbled but caught the boy in his arms before he fell. Patrick looked around the room with deer-in-headlights eyes, “Please tell me this is a prank.” He turned to the other Patrick, “ _Sharpy_.”

Sharpy scratched the back of his neck. “We saw it happen, man,” he coughed, “One minute, he was in here, throwing on his pads with some pissed off expression, and the next minute, Tall Tazer’s gone, and his gear’s on the floor, with baby Tazer buried underneath the clothes.” The group nodded in agreement, still staring at the toddler in Patrick’s arms.

Jonny had calmed down, and was now clinging to Kaner's shirt. He was sniffling occasionally, face hidden in Kaner’s shoulder. Patrick sat down on the bench, Jonny repositioning himself to be more comfortable, keeping Kaner’s shirt bunched in his little hands.

“How did this happen,” Patrick huffed, “This can't just happen.”

“It happened with Sidney Crosby a couple years ago,” Seabs told him.

Patrick’s eyebrows shot up. “It did?”

Sebas nodded. “Yeah. I overheard Geno telling Jonny after it happened. He had to take care of Sid until he turned back to normal. He said it was because of stress or something, think he was upset and it stressed him out so bad- poof! Sid the Kid literally became Sid the Kid.”

“It happened to Oscar Klefbom, too. From the Oilers? Connor McDavid took care of him.” Saader added.

Patrick looked down at Jonathan, who was nearly asleep. His cheek was resting on Kaner’s chest and his eyes were closed, little puffs of air escaping his lips, but his body was tense, like it always was before he falls asleep.

“Who's gonna take care of him?” He asked, standing before motioning to Jonny at Sharpy. Sharpy went to take Jonny, but the moment he felt himself being transferred arms, his eyes shot open. He let out a loud scream before bursting into tears again, making grabby hands to Kaner. Kaner panicked and quickly took Tazer back into his hold, and Jonathan went silent once again.

Duncs looked at the three in surprise, “I guess that answers that question.”

Patrick looked desperate. “How am I supposed to take care of him? I've never taken care of a baby before.”

“You took care of your sisters a lot.” Crow shrugged.

“Yeah, but I've never taken care of a baby,” Patrick emphasized, “How old even is he?”

Sharpy examined Jonny carefully. “He looks like Maddy was when she was three or four,” he replied, “Jonny? Do you know how old you are?” Jonny seemed to question this, tired and annoyed, but he held up four fingers. “Four. He's four.” Sharpy concluded.

Q turned to Kaner. “Do you think you could take care of him?” He asked, and Patrick's face went white. “Kaner, I know this is difficult, but Toews is four now, and he needs adult supervision. His family is in Winnipeg. I'd suggest one of the others who've had kids before, but after what just happened…”

Patrick could still hear the broken-hearted cry Jonathan had emitted when Patrick tried to give him to Sharpy. God knows what would happen if Patrick left him with someone else and ran off. The boy would probably have a seizure. So, he let out a heavy sigh and nodded, “Yeah. Yeah, I'll take care of him.”

The team relaxed immediately. No one wanted to deal with a hysterical Tazer.

“One of you should go get a car seat,” Q announced, “Kaner doesn't need a ticket for having a four year old out of a booster seat.”

Kaner quickly began fishing for his wallet, but Sharpy held out his hand. “Don't worry about it, man,” he dismissed, “It’s Tazer. I can cough up a little money for the guy.” Then, he was gone.

Patrick was allowed to skip practice for today because Jonathan was refusing to part with him, and no one could really focus when Jonny was crying. Not because he was loud, but because _Jonathan Toews was a four year old and he was crying_. No one had the heart to skate by, so Patrick couldn't leave. He wouldn't, even if he was allowed to.

Towards the end of practice, Sharpy came back with a car seat and a bag. “Maddy and Sadie aren't gonna need this anymore,” he chuckled, “I also brought a shirt and a pair of pants for him. Oh, and here's some McDonald's. Figured you'd need it.”

Patrick stared at his teammate in awe, “Sharpy, you're a godsend.”

Sharp flicked his hair, “Obviously.”

Patrick stood and Jonathan stirred, but then he crawled up Kaner’s body and dropped his head into Pat’s shoulder. Patrick felt his heartstrings tug. “Come on, I'll help you set up the car seat.” Sharpy spoke and led Patrick outside to his car. He situated the car seat, before moving to the side to let Patrick put Jonny in the booster.

Carefully, Patrick kneeled on the car floor and placed Jonny in the car seat. Jonny’s eyes fluttered open and he whined, reaching forward to Kaner. “Shh, it’s okay, Jonny,” he soothed, pulling the oversized jersey from Tazer’s little body. Sharpy helped him change Jonathan into the outfit he brought, and when they were done, Jonny reached towards Kaner once again.

“Hey, bud, go back to sleep.” Patrick cooed, gently pushing Jonny back to the seats. “It's okay.”

Jonathan whined again, “ _Kaner."_

Sharpy leaned over and helped Patrick keep Jonathan in his seat. “I'm right here, Jon,” Patrick assured him, “Go on back to sleep.” It took a few minutes, but Jonathan finally fell asleep again.

Patrick leaned out of the car, only to find a group of people walking by with grins and whispers. Patrick looked back at Sharpy, who had a hand rested on Patrick’s back out of instinct — because Patrick was almost falling out of the car — and was fixing Jonathan’s shirt. Both Patrick’s came to realize what they were thinking and quickly moved back.

“Thanks for the help, Sharp,” Kaner smiled, “I dunno how I'm gonna handle this.”

Sharpy clapped him on the back, “You'll be fine, Kaner.”

~

Patrick arrived at his apparent mention and shut off the engine. He let out a heavy sigh, leaning back in his seat. After a while, he turned, jolting ever-so-slightly when he saw that Jonny was awake, staring intently at him with a thumb in his mouth.

“Hey, bud,” he smiled, unbuckling his seatbelt, “How long have you been awake?”

“Littl’ bit.” He replied, yawning as he wiggled in his seat, “Pat.”

Patrick got out of the car, went to the backseat, and unbuckled Jonathan. The moment his body was free, the boy leapt towards Patrick with a giggle. Patrick caught him and Jonathan clasped his fingers on the back of Kaner’s neck. “Pat!”

Patrick chuckled and locked the car before carrying him inside. “Alright, little guy,” he huffed out. When inside, Jonathan wiggled around in Patrick’s grip. He set him down and Jonathan sped off into the kitchen. Patrick followed, and he found Jonathan struggling to open the fridge. He jumped, holding onto the handle that was two to three feet off the ground, swinging, trying to pull it open.

“ _Kaner_ ,” he yelped, “Sauce!”

Patrick walked over and opened the door, Jonathan being carried with it. Jonathan jumped down and tried to crawl inside the refrigerator. “No-No, Jonny, no.” Patrick told him and grabbed him by the armpits, hoisting him up and onto his hip.

Jonathan reached out to the fridge, “Sauce! Sauce! Pat, want sauce!”

Patrick chuckled awkwardly. “Uh, tomato sauce?” He questioned, grabbing a can of open tomato sauce off the shelf.

Jonathan made a disgusted face. “No, Pat. Sauce!” He reached down towards the fruit drawer. Patrick held him as Jonathan grabbed an apple and shoved it into Patrick’s face. “Sauce!”

Patrick’s mouth dropped open in realization. “Oh, applesauce.” Jonathan nodded enthusiastically and clapped his hands. Patrick chuckled. “Okay, okay, I don't have ny applesauce, bud, but I can get some soon.”

“Now!”

And that was that.

~

Patrick was nervous, taking Jonny out in public. The entire way to the store, Patrick was making up scenarios about his Jonathan could be related to him. Cousin, nephew- no.

Jonathan was hyper by the time Patrick was pulling into a parking space. He'd only been awake for half an hour, maybe forty-five minutes. Patrick was surprised at how much he bounced back. Patrick unbuckled him and Jonathan took off down the parking lot.

He slammed the door closed and ran after him. “ _Jonathan_!” He shouted, and Patrick swore he almost had a heart attack when he saw an approaching car. He was fast enough, though, and he grabbed Jonny’s arm. He hoisted him up to his hip and practically threw himself towards the parked cars to get away from passing cars. “ _No_. No, you don't run off like that! You could have gotten hurt.”

Jonny frowned at Patrick. He placed his hands on Kaner’s cheeks. “Jonny sorry, Pat.” He sniffled, and tears welled up in his eyes. He looked absolutely devastated. Patrick caved immediately.

“It's alright, Jonny,” he sighed, and he brought Jonny’s face to his chest, a hand on his head as he held him there, “Just don't run off like that, okay? Can you do that for me?”

Jonathan looked up at Patrick with big, watery eyes. He nodded his head quickly, sniffling. “Jonny p-pro-prom…Jonny say yes.”

Patrick smiled down at him. “Okay, bud, now let’s go get some applesauce, okay?”

Jonathan’s sad demeanor was quickly washed away at the reminder and was replaced by a large grin. Patrick’s heart practically melted because he had dimples. He carried Jonny to the carts and plopped him down in the basket part. Jonathan stood up and held onto the metal bars, bouncing his legs excitedly as Patrick pushed him around the store.

He picked up some milk, eggs, a couple loaves of bread, and of course, applesauce. He let Jonny choose which ones he wanted, and Jonathan just looked at the isle, held out his arm, and Patrick pushed him down the row, Jonathan’s arm shoving in multiple different kinds and packages of applesauce.

Patrick paused, “Well, that's one way to shop.” He looked down into the cart at the amount of applesauce — there had to be at least ten things in there, each with six little cups — and then looked back at Jonny. “You're lucky I like spoiling people.”

Jonathan just grinned a toothy grin.

While at the store, Patrick decided to grab some clothes that fit Jonny, because right now, all he had was that one shirt and pants that Sharpy had brought. He let Jonathan choose which pairs of shirts and pants he wanted, along with a pair of shoes. He even let Jonny get a teddy bear.

“I've gotta get some extra pads, okay?” He told his de-aged captain, and pushed the cart through the store to the sports section. Kaner found the pads he needed, and nearly dropped them when Jonathan let out a loud shriek. He turned to the cart swiftly and found Jonathan reaching out of the cart to a box of kiddy ice skates.

Patrick felt a smile tug at the ends of his lips. “You want the skates, buddy?” He asked, and Jonathan nodded frantically, face red with excitement and eagerness. Patrick stifled a laugh. “Alright then, let's find your size.”

They tried on three different pairs of skates before he found some that finally fit him, and Jonathan clutched the right one to his chest tightly. Patrick placed the left one in the box and put it in the cart next to him. He walked up to the register — apparently, there was one in every section of the store — and smiled at the cashier.

He was a younger guy, probably in his twenties. He smiled back at Kaner and began to ring up his things. Jonathan poked his head up from the cart and tugged on Patrick’s sleeve. “Pat,” he spoke, “Up.”

Patrick picked up the kid and let Jonathan place his skates on the table for the cashier to ring up. The boy awed at him and rang up his skates. “And who's this little guy?” He questioned.

Kaner tried not to sound off as he replied, “Ah, this is my friend’s kid, from back in Buffalo. He and his wife are visiting and I figured I'd take this one out for some guy time.”

The cashier seemed to fall for it hook-line-and-sinker. “Aw, that's cute,” he spoke, “Skates for the little man, huh? Does he like hockey like his friend, Kaner?”

Patrick nodded as Jonathan wiggled and threw himself back at his skates. “Sure does.”

The cashier hummed. “You know, we’ve got some kiddy hockey sticks that would be perfect for his height. Some plush pucks, too, if you want any.”

Jonathan gasped and turned to Patrick. There was hope in his eyes, and Patrick knew he was gone the moment Jonathan heard the word ‘stick’. “Sure,” he agreed, “Why not?”

The cashier got out a box of sticks and pucks. Jonathan chose his stick, a black one with blue writing and white outlines, and his puck, a simple red and black one. The boy rang those up, too, before waving to the two goodbye.

Jonathan held onto Kaner’s shirt the entire walk back to the car, and even when Patrick was loading the bags. It was difficult to maneuver, but Jonathan had one hand clutching his stick and the other balled into Pat’s red tee and Kaner didn't have the heart to put him down.

~

It was dusk by the time they got home, and Jonathan was still active and antsy. When they walked into the door, Jonathan was pushing past and stickhandling with his stick and puck on the hardwood floor. God, he may have been four years old and way tinier than adult Tazer, but he was definitely Jonathan Toews. There wasn't any way around it.

Patrick unloaded the groceries and turned on Cartoon Network in case Jonathan got bored of floor hockey. He made dinner, two packs of Ramen for him, half for Jonny, and Jonny’s applesauce. He poured the boy a cup of milk and put it in the sippy cup he'd bought at the store.

“Jonny, dinner.” He called, and he could hear the stick fall to the floor. Jonathan came barreling in, shouting, “Eat! Eat! Pat, wanna eat!” Patrick pulled Jonathan up on a bar stool by the island (he had to put a pillow under him but no one talked about it) and placed his bowl of noodles, applesauce, and milk in front of him.

Jonathan dug in hungrily, and Patrick had to take a moment to be surprised because wow, did little Jonny have an appetite. Patrick sat next to him and at his food, watching fondly as Jonathan began to talk excitedly about how much he loved his hockey stick.

After dinner, they sat around and watched highlights from a Rangers vs. Penguins game from the night before – Patrick didn't want to put on a Blackhawks game and risk Jonny getting triggered or something. Besides, they were playing the Penguins tomorrow night, and Patrick liked watching precious games to get the gist of how they've been playing. He lost track of the time, and when the game ended, Jonny was dozing off on his side.

Patrick turned off the television and scooped Jonathan up in his arms, cradling him. “Time for bed, huh bud?” Jonathan nodded tiredly and Patrick carried him upstairs. He supposed the guest bedroom would work, so he put Jonny in the bed and covered him up with the blankets. Jonathan looked up at Patrick through the darkness with a certain emotion in his eyes, almost like fear.

“Don't be scared, Jonny,” Patrick tried to reassure the boy, “I'm just right down the hall.”

Jonny wasn't having it.

“No,” he whispered, and tears sprung in his eyes, “Wanna stay wit’ you.” His bottom lip trembled and a tear slid down his cheek, and Patrick was surging forward and holding him as close as physically possible without suffocating the boy.

“Shh, it's okay buddy, it's okay,” he cooed, looking down and pushing Jonathan’s hair back from his eyes, “You can stay.” He plucked Jonathan’s little body from the sheets and took him into his bedroom. He laid the boy on the covers and he crawled under them excitedly. Patrick got dressed and slid under the blankets next to him. Jonny snuggled up close and curled into Patrick, falling asleep within minutes.

Patrick let one hand rest on Jonny’s back before falling asleep, too.

~

Patrick’s alarm went off the next morning at seven thirty. He had morning skate that morning for practice, extra early because they had a game tonight against the Penguins. With a heavy groan, Patrick swung his arm behind him and slammed a fist into the alarm clock.

He felt something shift beside him, and he looked down to find Jonathan clutching his shirt in his sleep, still a four year old.

Something sparked in Patrick. Jonathan was small, vulnerable, at this state. He adored Patrick, and kind of relied on him. He was calm and peaceful, not the stressed-out Captain Serious that he normally was. This entire scene was domestic, and honestly, Patrick had never been more relieved to find that Jonathan Toews was still a toddler and hadn't switched back.

He gently rubbed circles on Jonathan’s back to wake him up without startling him. “Morning buddy,” he said softly, “Think you can get up for me?”

Jonathan kept his eyes shut, squeezed them together as he grew more conscious, and whined. He pushed his face into Patrick’s shoulder and huffed, trying to fall back to sleep.

“You can have a nap at JIH,” Patrick tried to reason, “But I've gotta go to practice, remember? We play the Penguins tonight.”

Jonathan’s eyes flew open, “Skate?”

Patrick let the smile pull out of his lips. “Yeah, little man, you wanna come with me to morning skate?” Obviously, Patrick was going to bring Jonathan no matter what, but Jonny didn't need to know that, not when Pat had the upper foot.

Jonathan nodded in excitement. “Dress, Pat, go dress! Skate!”

Jonathan continuously repeated ‘skate’ throughout the time Patrick got dressed, got Jonny dressed, and packed up his and little Jonny’s gear into the car. Patrick should have found it annoying. Instead, his heart squeezed with every word.

The drive to Jonny’s Ice House was filled with music, not to Patrick’s surprise. He turned on the Blackhawks’ Pandora playlist – since Patrick had no idea of Jonathan wanted to listen to kid songs or normal songs – and both he and Jonathan sang along.

They arrived at JIH, and Jonathan was already trying to pull his seatbelt off. Patrick had to aid him, and when he was free, he jumped out of the car. However, he paused, remembering the shopping incident yesterday, and waited patiently for Patrick to grab his duffel.

Kaner swung the duffel over one of his shoulder and carried Jonathan in his free arm, kicking the doors open to Jonny’s Ice House because he was totally rocking this whole guardian thing.

Jonathan seemed to get a little shyer as they got closer to the locker room. Patrick had a strong urge to kiss the top of his head and assure him everything would be okay, but he caught himself, shook off the thought, and walked in.

The locker room went quiet for a couple seconds, and Patrick was sure half of them had expected Jonathan to be changed back by now. “Morning, guys.” Patrick greeted, heading to his stall. Jonathan hid his face in Patrick’s shoulder shyly.

“Hey Kaner,” Sharpy replied back, walking over, “Tazer. How was last night?”

“Not as bad as I thought it would be.” Patrick admitted, smiling at Jonathan. Jonny just buried his face deeper.

Sharpy let out a chuckle. “He gonna watch the practice?” Duncs asked, waving at the boy who peeked his head up from the solitude of Kaner's shoulder.

Patrick nodded. “Sure is, even wants to play a little. Got him a stick and everything.”

Jonny perked up when he remembered that he had skates and could very well play with them during practice.

“Hey bud, I gotta get changed,” Patrick told Jonathan, “So I'm gonna put you down, okay?” Jonathan pouted, but nodded, and allowed Patrick to set him on his feet.

While Kaner changed, Jonathan noticed that the first one finished was John Hayden. He giggled and ran over to Hayden, tugging on his sleeve. Hayden looked down at the de-aged Captain. Jonathan lifted his arms and made grabby hands. “Up!”

Hayden smiled at agreed, lifting the boy into his arms. Jonathan grinned and lunged at Hayden’s neck, wrapping his little arms around it and hugging him. Hayden cooed and patted his back. “Aw, thanks kid, I feel loved.”

The team turned to the two and immediately, a majority of the team was running over and gushing over Hayden and Jonny. Patrick didn't mind too much, except he did, just a little. He reminded himself that when all of this started and Jonathan was terrified, Patrick was the only one who calmed him down. With that thought, Patrick tied up his skates and walked over.

“Alright boys, let's get out there,” Q shouted, turning into the locker room before jumping a bit, “God, I forgot about Toews. Kane, what are you going to do with him during practice?”

“I figured I'd put him by the glass,” Patrick shrugged, “Abby’s here, maybe he'd like to hang out with her for a little while.”

Sharpy nodded. “I told her last night. You should have seen how worried she got. Nearly called you.”

Patrick laughed and Hayden reluctantly handed Jonny over to Q, who went to give him to Abby. The team headed out onto the ice and began practice, but it was obvious something was off, all because their Captain wasn't there with them.

~

Practice ended and Patrick laced up Jonathan’s skates. Most of the people watching had left and it was just them, Sharpy, Seabs, Hayden, and Crow. The moment the group got back in the locker room after practice was over, Jonathan was shouting at Patrick about playing too.

So here they were, Patrick helping Jonathan waddle around in his small skates. His arms were up all the way and Patrick was behind him, holding his hands down the tunnel. Sharpy was following behind with Jonny’s stick and plush puck.

(The team had agreed in secret that they'd play with the plush puck around Jonny to avoid any serious injuries.)

Jonathan carefully put one foot out on the slippery ice. He wobbled a bit, before regaining his balance with the help of Patrick. He put his other foot out and nearly fell backwards, but Patrick caught him and helped him back up. He helped Jonathan skate for a little bit, still holding his hands as he went, until Jonathan was wiggling them out of his grasp and skating on his own.

Fucking Jonathan Toews.

He skated to Sharpy and the man gave him his stick, throwing the puck into the center of the ice. Crow was in the goal, but without his mask and pads on, because a plush puck wasn't going to hurt too badly. He'd gotten hit plenty of times in the face with a normal puck; a plush one was nothing.

Jonathan and Hayden teamed up against Kaner and Sharpy while Seabs ‘coached’. After a while, though, the group lost track of the wins and losses and just played around. When Jonny would score a goal, Hayden would high five him and fish bump, and Kaner would skate after the toddler, threatening tickles.

There was one time where Jonathan chipped at Patrick because he had tripped Hayden jokingly, and the two knew it was a joke, and so did Jonathan, but he still snapped at Pat in the only way a toddler could, “You meanie head.”

Kaner grinned, “Oh yeah? I'm a meanie head?” Jonathan had nodded pointedly. “Yeah, well, you know who else is a meanie head? The tickle monster!”

Jonathan’s face dropped, and then he shrieked, skating away. Kaner went after him, and the remaining team watched fondly as Kaner grabbed Jonny by his waist, lifted him off the ice, and tickled him senseless. Jonathan’s giggles bounced off the walls as Patrick tickled him in delight.

And if Sharpy had recorded the entire thing on his phone, no one had no know.

~

Sharpy had surprised Jonathan with a little duffel bag as they were undressing. Jonathan nearly cried. Kaner put Jonny’s skates, stick, and puck in his duffel bag before zipping it up and handing it to Tazer.

Jonny held it on his shoulder in excitement, shouting ‘thank you’ over and over.

When they left, Patrick was starving, and he realized that he hadn't fed either of them that morning. “Hey, Jonny,” he questioned as they drove down the street, glancing back in the rear view mirror to see Jonathan, “You hungry?” The toddler nodded. “Do you want to stop somewhere to eat, or at at my house?”

Jonathan's reply was instant, “Home!”

So, Patrick drove home, and for the rest of the afternoon, Jonathan helped Patrick make cookies.

~

They were playing the Penguins. The game was tied 3-3. The entire team was off, mainly because Jonathan wasn't there shouting plays or yelling at the opponents with every dirty hit from behind the bench.Even some of the Penguins were confused as to why Jonathan wasn't out there.

But, he was there.

From behind the glass where the hockey families sit, Jonathan was being held in place by Abby. Maddy and Sadie we're next to him on either side, watching excitedly as their father played. However, there was only one player Jonny was watching, and that was Patrick.

“Kaner!” He shouted every time Patrick skated by, and he nonchalantly fist bumped the glass in between him and Jonny each time. Jonathan always burst into giggles and waved.

The buzzer sounded to end the third period and the game went into overtime. Both teams went to the benches to take a break, and Jonathan wanted to run over to Kaner and hug the life out of him so badly. But he couldn't, but the wave Patrick sent him from the end of the bench would do for now.

After the break, the teams gathered back on the ice to start the shootouts. They'd switched goals, which meant Crow was way down to the right, and Flower was by Jonny’s side, to the left. Geno and Crosby were skating around the left side, too.

Jonathan gasped and pressed his face against the glass. “Sid!”

Somehow, Sidney had been able to hear the little shriek from the uproar of people. He looked around in the stands, and Jonny yelled again, until Crosby laid eyes on him.

Sidney knew who the toddler was the moment he saw him.

“Jonathan?”

He skated to the glass, ignoring the boo's he got from approaching the Blackhawks’ hockey families. Jonathan bounced excitedly at his friend. “Sid! Sid! Sid!”

“Holy shit,” Sidney breathed, “Not you, too.”

Sidney was called away, and he left reluctantly, but he kept glancing over to the stands each chance he got.

This didn't go unnoticed by Kaner.

The Penguins won overtime 4-3 and both teams retreated to the locker rooms. Sidney didn't miss the little toddler running off after the Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks got dressed quickly, a little bummed at losing, but Jonathan went quickly to entertain them, and that lifted everyone’s spirits. Jonny danced around, singing to Chelsea Dagger loud and off key, but no one seemed to care, and everyone found it fucking adorable.

No reporters had been allowed in the locker room, and none would be until Jonathan got back to normal. So, they waited outside the door, which meant Kaner had to wait with Jonathan inside the locker room until they all had left.

Lucky for him, Hayden had gone out and bought a coloring book and some crayons for Jonathan. Jonathan went to work immediately on coloring a tiger in a bright green color. Kaner watched and played on his phone as they waited.

After a while, someone knocked on the door. Kaner raised an eyebrow. “Um, locker room’s closed. You'll have to wait.”

The person walked in anyways, “I'm not a reporter.”

Kaner nearly fell off the bench and Jonathan jumped up excitedly, “Sid!” He raced forward and latched onto Sidney’s leg.

Patrick’s face went white. “Uh, hey man,” he spoke awkwardly, “What are you doing here still?”

“I was waiting until the reporters left to get an insight on if my friend actually turned into a toddler, or if I needed a concussion test.”

Patrick winced. Sidney lifted Jonathan up and set him on his hip. Jonathan hugged Sidney tightly. “Sid! Pat, look! Sid!”

Patrick rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah bud, I see. It's Sid.”

Sidney sighed out. “So he de-aged then,” he rolled his lips, “The damn league needs to do something about all this fucking stress that we players go through. Maybe then, this would stop happening.”

Patrick stood up. “So, this happens frequently, then?”

Sidney nodded. “Yeah, man, happened to me, happened to Flower, happened to Hank Lundqvist for like, a day. That man’s just too damn happy to be so stressed. Turned back to an adult in less than twenty-four hours.”

Patrick held his head in his hands. “He's only been like this for a day,” he admitted, “God, this is a mess.”

Sidney nodded in agreement. Jonathan rested his head against Sidney’s shoulder constantly. Patrick in fired the flare of jealousy that lit up in the back of his chest. “What do we do?”

“We let it play out,” Sidney shrugged, “There's nothing we can do but watch him. His body’s what does everything. He's been too stressed, his body couldn't take it, so it converted itself into a four- four?” Patrick nodded. “Yeah, a four year old’s body to reduce its stress levels. Someone would have to take care of him, instead of himself.”

“He seemed to be really lovey with Hayden,” Kaner told the other Captain, “I'm not really sure why. He was really particular when it came to the people he let hold him.”

“Was Hayden around when he turned?” Sid asked, and Patrick nodded. “That's why, then. Hayden was probably the first person Jonny saw after he turned. It's like imprinting.”

“Okay, but he, uh, he wouldn't let anyone touch him when he first turned…except for me.” Patrick admitted shyly.

Sidney gave him a soft smile. “That means he trusts you, probably more than anyone else. Even more than Hayden.”

Patrick didn't ignore the swell of pride that rushed through his body.

Jonathan lifted his head. “Sid? Pat? Hungry.”

Patrick rolled his neck, sighing out when he heard the cracks. “I better get some food in this one,” he chuckled, grabbing his duffel and Jonny’s little one, “You want to come with us?”

Sidney smiled, “Sure.”

~

Sidney had taken the team bus from the hotel to the UC, so the three got into Kaner’s car. Sidney volunteered to drive. Patrick liked that idea, because that meant he could turn around in his passenger’s seat to look at Jonny.

They'd been trying to figure out where to eat at. Chinese was out, Buffalo Wild Wings was probably too much for Jonny to handle, and no one wanted McDonalds.

“Okay, well, do you want to go get pizza?” Kaner suggested. Sidney shrugged and nodded.

Jonathan thought a moment, before replying, “Pizza Inn!”

Patrick furrowed his eyebrows at the specific request, but agreed nevertheless, and Sidney made their way to Pizza Inn. They went inside, Jonny practically dragging Kaner by the hand. They found a booth and got their plates.

It was a little difficult, juggling their plates, Jonathan, and his plate, but they made do. Kaner held his plate in his right and hand Jonathan on his left hip and arm. Sidney was in front of them. Kaner would tell him what he and Jonny wanted, and Sid would put it on their plates. They looked like a married couple with a little kid, but neither of them could give a single fuck at the moment. They both just wanted food.

Jonny got one small piece of cheese pizza and a large-ass salad. Trust Jonathan Toews to choose the one pizza place that had all-you-can-eat salads.

They went back to their booth and sat down. Jonny was in Kaner’s lap and Sidney was in front of them, but Jonathan nearly pitched a fit at that, so Kaner had to move to the inside of the booth so Sidney could sit next to them. Jonathan plopped down in between them and began happily eating his salad.

“Damn, that kid knows how to get his way.” Sidney chuckled at Jonny, who was shoving a forkful of lettuce and cheese into his mouth. Kaner laughed and agreed. They ate in peace, and luckily, no one came up to them. Kaner and Sid would feed Jonny carrot slices or bites of their pizza from time to time. Sidney knew what he was doing, but he took to note that Kaner seemed to do it subconsciously, without even realizing what exactly he was doing.

For instance, right now. They were talking about how much they hated the Flyers.

“I know! Fucking Elliot…gets on my nerves.” He huffed and picked up his pizza, turning to Jonathan and tapping his lip with the food. Jonathan put down his forkful of salad and opened his mother obediently, and Patrick let him bite off a piece of his pizza. Then, Patrick proceeded to take a bite for himself and continue to rant about how bad of a Captain he thought Claude Giroux was.

Sidney smiled inwardly and let the action go, knowing fairly well that Patrick was enjoying this just as much as Jonathan was.

Sidney came home with the two Blackhawks for a little while to help Patrick out. He gave Pat some pointers about kids, but also the reminder that, while Jonny was four, and had the mind of a four year old, deep in the back of his mind, Jonathan was still Jonathan. He'd act like Jonathan, but like a four year old would, because that's all he can do.

“Don't get frustrated with him,” Sidney demanded, “Things may be okay now, but Jonathan is going to get tired of being a child and he's going to get cranky and crabby. It's not his fault. Just let it play out and _don't yell_ at him. Geno did that with me once, and it got me stressed out to the point where I went down a couple ages.”

Patrick’s eyes bulged. “You _did_?”

Sidney nodded, cheeks reddening slightly. “Yeah, I went from a six year old to the three year old. Nearly gave Geno a heart attack. I stayed three until I turned back.”

Patrick nodded and looked towards Jonathan, who was sitting on the couch, coloring in Hayden’s coloring book. His tongue was sticking out slightly and he looked very determined, slapping down a crayon when he was done with it to pick up another and go right back to work.

“I'll keep that in mind.”

Sidney smiled at him and patted him on the shoulder. “You'll be fine, Patrick,” he assured, “Look, you've had him for a day and he isn't dead yet.”

Patrick rolled his eyes playfully, “Yeah. Thanks for the pep talk.”

Sidney chuckled. A car honked in the driveway, and Sidney grabbed his duffel. “That'd be my ride,” Sidney sighed, “I asked Geno to pick me up. They just came back from the bar. Probably waiting in a cab or something, idiots.”

Patrick laughed and nodded, waving goodbye. Sidney turned to Jonathan. “Later, little man.”

Jonathan simply looked up, “Sid stay.”

Both men paused. Jonathan went right on back to coloring. Patrick raised his eyebrows. “Uh, buddy, Sid’s gotta go.”

Jonathan looked up again with a more determined look on his face. “No. Sid stay.”

Both men felt their hearts drop when they realized Jonathan was going to end up in tears by the end of this.

“Hey, Jonny,” Sid tried softly, “I'm gonna miss you, but I've gotta go. My friends are waiting and I have to get on a plane in the morning.”

And yeah, maybe that wasn't the right thing to say, because Jonathan looked completely put out and tears began to form in his eyes. “No,” he argued weakly, “Sid stay.”

Sidney ruffled his hair, and the horn honked again. “I can't, Jonny,” he frowned, “We can Skype all you want, but I have to go.” He got up and opened the door. Kaner was behind him, mumbling, “Go on, I'll handle it.”

A tear fell down Jonathan's face, then another, then another, and then, Jonathan was jumping up and throwing himself at the door. Patrick caught him in his arms and Jonathan struggled desperately to get free.

“Sid!” Jonny cried, reaching an arm out as the door closed, and Sidney disappeared outside. “No! Sid! _Sid!_ ” Jonny was screaming now, wailing and sobbing for his friend to come back.

Patrick gathered him up in his arms and held onto the toddler tightly so he couldn't escape. One arm rested under Jonny’s butt and his other hand was on his back, rubbing circles on it carefully. Jonathan clenched onto Kaner's shirt and cried into his shoulder, his body shaking with sobs and screams.

Jonathan crying like this was breaking Patrick’s heart. It wasn't like when he was scared of sleeping alone, or even when he had first transformed into a toddler. Patrick had to wonder if it was because Sidney understood, and because Sidney was the closest person to remembering his adult life because of the Olympics, and the adult things that happened. Drinking, staying up late as fuck, and sure, Sharpy was with him, but Sharpy was always with him. Maybe Sidney coming back was a sudden reminder of his adult life.

And holy-fucking-hell, this was stressing Jonathan out.

“Jonathan, Jonny shh, it’s okay. It's okay.” Patrick did not need Jonathan to de-age even more. He’d only been four for a day, dammit. “Jonny, baby, I need you to calm down.”

He let the word slip out, but frankly, he didn't seem to care. And to his surprise, it seemed to make Jonny pause for a moment, to hold his cries for a few seconds before hiccuping and letting out another sob. So, Patrick tried it again.

“It's okay, baby, I'm right here,” he cooed as he walked around the house, bouncing and swaying the toddler gently, “I'm right here.” He turned to whispering, sliding his hand up Jonny’s back to catch in his hair, ruffling it before running his hands through it. “Relax, baby, you're alright.”

Jonathan’s muscles relaxed, the tenseness leaving as he flopped over exhaustedly onto Kaner’s shoulder. His arms hooked around Patrick’s neck and his cheek fell pressed against the part of his shoulder where his joints met. Patrick rubbed his back and hummed quietly, walking around the house again. Jonathan’s puffs of hot air hit Patrick’s neck, and the entire thing was domestic as fuck and Patrick wanted to cry.

Finally, Jonathan fell asleep. Patrick walked around a little longer, just to make sure. He turned off all the lights and locked the doors and windows, then carried them both upstairs to his bedroom. He laid the two of them down on the pillows and unraveled Jonny’s arm from his neck. He didn't bother to change either of them. He did, however, decide to grab the teddy bear he'd gotten Jonny the night before and pressed it between Jonny’s arms.

Patrick’s eyes drooped as he gently caressed Jonny’s back. Jonathan opened his eyes suddenly, and sleepily, the boy shifted closer and climbed up Patrick’s body. His head came down to rest on Patrick’s shoulder again. He snuggled into Patrick and cuddled his beat, falling asleep again.

Patrick went to sleep with chest pains and teary eyes.

~

When Patrick woke up the next morning, he was on his back, and Jonathan was curled up in a ball on top on him, his bear clutched in his hands, a spot of drool on Patrick's shirt.

Patrick didn't know how he didn't have a seizure.

His alarm hadn't gone off, but it was a couple minutes until it did, so he carefully reached over and turned it off so it didn't wake up Jonny. He pulled his hand back, but rested it in Tazer’s hair, gently running his hand through it. He didn't know how long had passed until Jonathan finally came to. He yawned cutely and rubbed his eyes with his little fists, the arm of his bear still held in his grasp. He turned his head and found Patrick, and the boy smiled tiredly.

“ _Kaner_ ,” was all he said, but it was spoken with so much love and adoration that Patrick teared up again – what a fucking wimp he was – and held onto Jonathan tightly. Jonny was more than happy to let Kaner hug him.

They stayed like that for a little while, until Patrick saw the time, and sighed because he was ten minutes late already.

He got himself and Jonathan changed, and grabbed two containers of applesauce and two spoons, and threw them in his duffel. Then, he poured a cup full of milk – it was one of those non-spill ones, where the lid was pressed tight to the sides. Patrick made sure it wouldn't spill (by turning it upside down over the sink) before handing it to Jonathan, who took it happily. Patrick poured himself a cup of coffee in a cup with a lid, got them into the car, and drove off to practice.

The boys walked into the locker room looking like  _twins_. They were carrying their duffel bags and their hands were each filled with a cup of some kind of drink (Sharpy prayed to God above that Patrick didn't give Jonathan coffee).

“Hey, have you seen the articles?” Duncs asked Kaner quietly, and the locker room went _silent_.

Kaner didn't like that. “What articles?” He asked, because Patrick hadn't even looked at his phone. Well, other than yesterday, because apparently Sidney had called André to tell her what happened, and she called Pat in a very panicked voice, asking if Jonathan was still breathing. But Patrick hadn't looked at any articles.

“The articles about you and Jonathan,” Duncs replied, pulling one up on his phone, “Or, in the media’s eyes, ‘Baby Kaner’.”

Patrick’s eyes went wide, “Baby what?” He snatched the phone and read the article as fast as possible.

_** BABY KANER? ** _

_Right Winger Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks has been spotted since Wednesday with a young child._

_Images first popped up when Kane left the United Center with the toddler in his arms._

There was a picture of Patrick and Sharpy by his car when Jonathan first became like this.

_Since then, any and all new pictures of Kane have been with this child, whose name is unknown. Here, Kane was spotted at the grocery store when the toddler nearly ran into traffic. Is Patrick Kane really fit to be a father?_

Father? Oh fuck no. And excuse them, he was more than capable of taking care of Jonny. Fuck them.

_We talked to one of the workers in the store who claimed saw Kane and the mystery toddler._

_“Yeah, they were in there,” said twenty-one year old Dustin Browne, “Patrick was buying some stuff and he wanted to get the kid some skates and a stick. The little dude was really excited.”_

_When asked if Kane had said the relation to each other, Browne replied with, “Patrick said he was a kid of one of his friends who was in town. He went out with him for a ‘guy’s day’ or something.”_

_And just yesterday, after the Blackhawks lost to the Penguins in overtime, Kane is spotted here with the toddler and the Penguins’ Captain Sidney Crosby at Pizza Inn. What's going on here?_

And there he was, with Jonny and Crosby, eating at Pizza Inn and…oh shit, he was feeding Jonny his pizza.

_Is Patrick Kane a father? Or is this little guy really a kid of a friend? What's up between Crosby and Kane? Let us know in the comments or email us at deadspinmagazine@gmail.com._

_**More You Might Like:** _

_Is the Buffalo Sabres’ Captain Done for the Season?_

_Where the Heck is Jonathan Toews?_

_15 Reasons Why the Toronto Maple Leaves are the Best Hockey Team Out There._

Patrick resisted the urge to throw the phone because it wasn't his phone. “That's bull,” he huffed, pushing the phone back into Duncs’s chest, “I am not a father; there is nothing going on between me and Sidney; he's not even my kid!”

Jonathan looked up from his coloring book. Kaner might have another kid? That's cool. Jonny wants a friend his age. He went back to coloring.

This went on for a couple more days. Patrick tried not to go out as often, but he did decide to try to clear the waters around the media by posting a picture on his Twitter of he and Jonny eating noodles while watching cartoons. He'd set up the camera to where it looked like someone else was taking the picture. He captioned it ‘Look at us little tykes eating noodles like pros. His mom and dad are gonna be so proud of us!’

That didn't do much, but at least he made it sound like Jonny wasn't his kid.

~

It had now been officially one week and one day since Jonny turned into a toddler. Patrick adored little Jonny, but he was starting to miss adult Jonathan.

Like right now, in the middle of an away game.

He missed having someone to rough around with during practice, or to hug when he scored a goal. Sure, there was Sharpy and Seabs and Duncs but _they're not Tazer._

No, Jonathan is in the stands, screaming red-faced and clenched fists from Hayden’s lap during the game. Hayden was out on concussion protocol and decided to sit in the stands to be with Jonny and make sure the kid didn't run out onto the ice to beat up whatever opponent touched his Kaner.

They were playing the Philadelphia Flyers in Philly and Jonathan almost started hyperventilating when Patrick suggested that Jonny stay with Abby. So, Jonathan came along.

Patrick was almost regretting it.

He was off his A-Game, like, way off. There's no telling how many times he was slammed into the boards or shoved to his knees. It was pissing him off.

Finally, he snapped.

The Hawks were able to score a goal in the final seventeen seconds of the third period, winning the game 2-1. Neither team had been at their best. Nolan Patrick started shouting at Sharpy, that the goal he made shouldn't have counted and other stupid things like that, then tried to pick a fight with him, and Kaner wasn't having that shit.

He skated over and shoved Nolan off his teammate, and Nolan immediately swung a fist as Kaner. The two began fighting, and Patrick slammed Nolan into the boards as hard as he could. Giroux was on them in an instant, then was Sharpy, and soon, it became a pile-up fight and the buzzer to end the period was drowned out by the cheering of fans and the heartbeat in Kaner’s ears.

“Kaner. Kaner! Come on, man, let go!” Sharpy and Seabs dragged Patrick away from the Flyer, and Nolan tried to lunge at him, but Simmonds held him back. Kaner tried to rip his arms from his teammates’ arms, but Sharpy kept his grip. “Into the locker room, go.” And they skated off, neither one of them missing Jonathan’s screaming of ‘Kaner’.

Kaner threw himself at his duffel, grabbing a towel to stop his bleeding nose. Nolan was worse, way worse, and that's probably because Kaner let out every fucking emotion he had into those punches.

“Kaner,” Sharpy tried, but the other boy ignored him, “ _Kaner_. Kaner!”

“ _WHAT?_ ”

Sharpy pulled Patrick into a hug, and Patrick broke down. They sat on the bench, Sharpy holding onto Patrick as the blond boy sobbed into Sharpy’s jersey.

“I miss him so damn much, Sharpy,” he cried, “I miss Jonathan – Tazer. This isn't Tazer! I want big Tazer back, Sharpy I-I-I…”

Sharpy rubbed Kaner’s arms soothingly, “You love him.”

Patrick nodded and hiccup, letting free another sob. He hadn't known he was in love with his team captain. In fact, when that article about Crosby and him came out, he was mad, because he wasn't gay. He still isn't gay. He still likes girls. He just…he really loves Jonny.

“I want him back.” He sniffled.

Sharpy nodded. “I know you do, Pat, we all do. But there's nothing any of us can do to change what's happened. Jonathan will go back to normal whenever his body allows him to, and you'll be waiting, arms open and welcoming, and we’ll all be behind you, to keep you grounded.”

Patrick nearly burst into tears again.

Sharpy helped Patrick clean your his bloody nose and told him to put some ice on his chin. A bruise was already forming there. Suddenly, there were multiple voices advancing towards the door, all seemingly panicked.

“Sharpy? Kaner? Please let us in, it's Jonny.”

For a moment, Patrick’s heart fluttered with hope that Jonathan had turned back into an adult. However, when Hayden walked in, they found Jonny much smaller, younger, and chubbier-cheeked than earlier.

“Oh no.” Patrick stared at Jonathan in disbelief. The boy was crying, wailing, was definitely younger than four. He had to be two, at the most.

“He de-aged again,” Hayden frowned, “When you and Sharpy went back here. He was freaking out. I thought he was going to pass out. Then suddenly, he started shaking, and boom, he's tiny!”

Kaner took Jonathan in his arms. Jonathan clutched Patrick's shirt and held onto him desperately, eyes shut tight and teary.

“That fight stressed him out too much,” Sharpy sighed, “and he wasn't able to check on you.”

Kaner looked down at Jonathan and frowned. “I need to get dressed,” he mumbled weakly, without any possible support, “We-we need to go home.” Kaner handed Jonathan over to Hayden, but Jonny broke into desperate cries again and reached out for Patrick. “Pat Pat!” He sobbed, looking utterly heartbroken.

Patrick worked fast, and Sharpy and Crow helped him, until Patrick was in a loose tee and sweatpants. He hauled his duffel bag over his shoulder and took Jonathan back into his arms, and the boy silenced as much as a two year old could.

“Keep us updated!” Hayden yelled as Kaner left the locker room and went to the hotel.

~

They were back in Chicago and Jonathan was still two. Patrick had called Sidney in the midst of a breakdown while Jonathan was napping. Sidney had to take ten minutes just to calm him down.

It had been a week and a half since Jonathan had turned into a child, and Patrick was breaking. He went to sleep that night with Jonathan in his arms, holding in the teddy bear to his chest, curled up against Patrick. But it felt different. Something was off, and that thought sent Patrick to sleep with a nervous stomach.

~

Patrick woke up the next day alone.

He sat up quickly, feeling around the bed for any signs of a human, but he found nothing. “Jonny?” He called, getting up and running around the house in a panic. “ _Jonathan_!”

“Pat?”

And holy fuck, that wasn't a toddler’s voice.

Patrick ran down the stairs and into the living room and oh mother of all things holy, twenty-nine year old Jonathan Toews was sitting on his couch, in nothing but a pair of Kaner’s boxers, pale and shaking.

Patrick slowly inched forward and held out his arm. “Jonny…”

Jonathan burst into tears and Pat lunged, wrapping his arms around his captain and holding him to his chest. Jonathan sobbed as heavily as a person can, and Patrick rocked Jonny back and forth, his head on Pat’s chest and Pat’s hands wrapped around his head.

Somehow, he fell asleep like that, and when he woke up, Jonathan was gone.

~

The first person he called was Sidney, and fuck him, because Crosby knew exactly what had happened the moment Kaner said “hey…”

Then he called André, then Sharpy, then Hayden, and then Patrick sat down by the front door and cried.

Patrick didn't go into practice that morning, and apparently, neither did Jonathan. He couldn't sleep at all that night. Despite his tiredness, Pat went in the next morning, but Jonathan wasn't there. The team hugged him and Sharpy and Hayden gave him that sympathetic look and Kaner just wanted to run into their arms and cry some more.

When did he become such a crier?

Before he went to bed that night, Patrick threw away all the applesauce, boxed up the sippy cups and plastic spoons and kids clothes and shoved the in his attic. He'd already given Sharpy the car seat back. Patrick could see it in his eyes that Sharpy’s heart broke a little.

Patrick searched everywhere. Under the bed, in the covers, rooms, fridge, cupboard, anywhere and everywhere, and Patrick couldn't find that stupid bear. He wanted to box it up and throw it with the others, but he couldn't find it. Patrick had trouble sleeping that night, too.

Jonathan came to practice the next morning. The team didn't say anything about the de-aging thing, just clasped him on the back, sprayed water on him, and told him how much they were sucking without him. Tazer laughed at all of them, but the smile never quite reached his eyes, and he didn't once look at Kaner.

The same thing happened the next day, and the day after that, and all during that day’s game against the Stars. They won, which goes to show how much of a difference Toews makes. Kaner didn't score one goal.

They were packing up, getting changed in the locker room as the team danced around to Chelsea Dagger. Both Kaner and Jonathan froze, a flashback hitting Patrick straight in the head to when they'd lost against the Penguins and Jonny had run around singing to the song to cheer up the team. Jonathan must remember, too, because he just cracked a wobbly smile and headed for the showers.

The team slowly dispersed, and Sharpy caught Patrick’s eye before he left. He motioned to Jonathan’s duffel before walking out. Cautiously, Patrick opened the duffel, and the sewed-on smile of the teddy bear stared up at him.

The shower turned off and Kaner hit behind a wall as Jonathan came out in clothes and wet hair. He watched as Jonathan unzipped his duffel bag, took out the bear, and zipped it up again. Then, he swung the bag over his shoulder and wrapped his arms around the soft stuffed animal, standing in the middle of the locker room with a frown. He sniffled, and Patrick didn't miss the single tear that fell down his cheek as he walked out.

Patrick followed Jonathan home.

He waited about six minutes until Jonathan had walked into his house before he knocked on the door. It took a minute, but Jonathan opened the door, dressed in plaid sleeping pants and a Blackhawks tee. The teddy bear was clutched in his free hand. He stood wide-eyed at Patrick, and Patrick saw his bottom lip start to tremble.

Carefully, Patrick stepped inside, shut the door, and opened his arms. Jonathan stared at his arms for a minute or two, sure that Patrick would give up and leave.

He didn't.

Patrick just stood there, staring at Jonathan with so many emotions, Jonathan couldn't see one for more than a second. Patrick took another step forward and emphasized his arms.

“Come here, baby.”

And yeah, that got him.

Jonathan’s face scrunched up in an effort not to cry and walked straight into Patrick’s waiting arms. They slowly sank to the ground and cried into each other’s shoulders.

The bear was pressed against Patrick’s armpit, but he didn't care; he had his Jonny back, and that was all he ever needed.


End file.
